Afraid to Live or Afraid to Die
by NarutosFangirl4ever
Summary: Naruto tells his story of how he was eaten by a giant snake and lived to tell about it. Oneshot


Was I afraid to live, or was I afraid to die? Some things I'll never know.

My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and this is a story of survival; a tale of life and death… and salvation.

It was the second stage of the Chunin Exams, located in the aptly named Forest of Death. I was only twelve at the time, and I wasn't afraid of anything that forest had to throw at me. I guess I got a bit cocky. My teammates, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, weren't with me when my story really began.

I was alone, separate from my teammates. I gave a groan as I slowly opened my eyes. I remembered that we were struck by a blast of wind and somehow I got separated. "Okay, upsie daisy." I told myself and rolled over. Looking around me, I noticed that Sakura and Sasuke were missing and wondered if they were okay. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over me. I looked up and there, standing above me was the biggest snake I have ever seen in my entire life. I lay there, staring in awe at this freak of nature. _What was up with this forest? _I wondered as the snake took in my scent. I was trembling, both from fear and from anticipation of what the snake was going to do. My face frowned, my right hand over my shuriken holder, ready for an attack. The snake hissed and lunged straight at me. I tried to throw a kunai at it, but it was too fast. It struck me, sending me flying through the air. I landed and quickly looked behind me, just as the snake's tail grabbed me and coiled around me. I couldn't move; I was helpless. I tried to wiggle free, but the coils grew tighter. The snake hissed and opened its mouth, revealing two fangs and a waiting throat. My fate was sealed as the snake closed its mouth over me and swallowed me whole. I screamed as I entered the throat feet first, descending into the snake's digestive tract. With a loud gulp, the swallow was complete. I was trapped inside a giant snake's belly.

The first thought that came into my mind was how in the world was I going to get out? As the seconds turned into minutes, I hatched a simple escape plan: use my kunai and cut my way out. So, as the snake slithered along, searching for a place to sleep, I began the slow process of stabbing the inside of the snake, hoping to make progress. After at least ten minutes of stabbing the same spot over and over again with no progress, screaming threats and swears at the snake, I gave up. Then I remembered that I was saving a rice ball for lunch and wondered if I sacrificed my lunch, the snake would spit me out. So I pulled out my rice ball from my bag, gave it one last look and let go of it. It rolled away from me where it sat there for a second and was immediately digested.

I stared at the spot where it once was, my eyes wide with horror. I was going to end up just like it in a few days, if I don't suffocate or get crushed to death first. But little did I know I was still in its throat; the stomach was just below me. With a rumble, the throat gave way and with a scream, I descended deeper inside the snake. I pulled out my kunai and tried to stop myself, but I remembered that it wouldn't work. So, calling out my teammate's names, begging them to somehow find me, I entered the stomach of the snake.

The snake was sound asleep, absorbing the sun's rays to speed up digestion. I was still inside, waiting for digestion to begin and for my life to end. I couldn't believe it; was this really my fate? I thought of all the things I could have accomplished; even my dream of becoming Hokage was crushed. I even thought of my friends: Iruka-sensei, old man the Third, Konohamaru, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura and Sasuke. I remembered the times me and Sasuke had together, like the time we fought Zazuba in the Hidden Mist Village. I even remembered the times we dueled against each other, trying to see who was better at almost anything, even who ate the fastest. My eyes snapped open as it came to me: the only way to escape death was to make it explode from overeating. But how was it possible? Then I remembered I had my Shadow Clone Jutsu I could use. I gave a wild grin; I was going to cheat death. I activated the jutsu and as my clones started to appear, the snake grew larger until it burst apart, dying immediately.

Sorry snake, you picked the wrong shinobi to try to eat. I'm going to be Hokage one day! If you thought I was going to become snake chow in the woods, well… You were wrong all along.


End file.
